Chapter 701: Teaching the Ultimate Transmission

As if responding to the figure’s words, the entire world instantly grew dim. Xu Bai even faintly heard helpless cries of lament.

Then, the slender figure shook its head slightly, turned around, and met Xu Bai’s gaze.

Xu Bai’s mind instantly exploded with a roar. He was horrified to discover that the figure’s appearance was identical to his own! No, that’s not right…

His vision blurred, and the face suddenly changed. Xu Bai felt as if he was seeing Mr. Bai’s peerless countenance again. However, it was somewhat different from what he had seen previously at the Beast Taming Sect. It wasn't as supremely elegant or like a being from heaven. Instead, it carried more sorrow, full of empathy for the suffering of others. It seemed more real, with a touch of a “mortal” essence. His clear eyes seemed to hold countless emotions and stories waiting to be told. Like a whirlpool, they gradually devoured Xu Bai’s mind.

“Wake up!”

A soft cry, like a great bell, seemed to come from beyond the heavens. It pierced through the barriers of countless worlds and suddenly reached Xu Bai’s ears. Xu Bai’s eyes instantly transformed from murky and vacant to alert and lively.

When he looked at Mr. Bai again, the flesh on his face slowly melted away like wax. The once breathtakingly beautiful face now appeared chillingly horrifying. In just a moment, the terrifying anomaly on Mr. Bai’s face had spread throughout his entire body. As if being carved away by a gust of wind, in the blink of an eye, he became a stark white skeleton. Its hollow eye sockets stared straight at Xu Bai.

Xu Bai was instantly struck with terror. The surrounding scene cracked like glass. It shattered in an instant. A slight dizziness came over him, and all the illusions vanished.

The black-robed cultivator who had come to guide him scanned him for a moment before slowly saying, “There is a trace of the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate’s aura lingering in this space. Cultivators who come here for the first time will instinctively perceive it and experience illusions.”

Xu Bai, who was not visiting the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters for the first time, naturally knew about this. The last time his main body came, he saw the towering statue of the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate. From that statue, Li Fan had sensed extreme danger, as well as a faint, elusive sense of familiarity. This time, however, when his clone—forged from Xu Ke’s vital blood and Mr. Bai’s divine essence—arrived, it witnessed a bizarre scene.

“The path to immortality lies ahead, yet cannot be trodden; the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate is above… Mr. Bai’s face actually became identical to the clone’s. And finally, that terrifying sight of him suddenly turning into a skeleton… What could all of this signify?”

Even after escaping the illusion, Xu Bai still seemed to be immersed in the shock it had caused. Purely out of instinct, he followed behind the black-robed guide. Perhaps Xu Bai’s extraordinary good looks had an effect; seeing his state, the black-robed cultivator surprisingly did not disturb him, simply leading the way in silence.

It wasn’t until the two passed through the teleportation array, transformed into beams of light, and rapidly moved through the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters space that Xu Bai slowly emerged from the influence of the illusion. At this point, the black-robed guide explained to Xu Bai, “This lingering aura of the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate is what we usually call the True Intent of Dharma Transmission. The True Intent of Dharma Transmission is profound and contains infinite wondrous uses. Only when a cultivator first enters the Alliance headquarters space, caught off guard, will they be affected by it and generate illusions. After staying here for a period and their body adapts to the presence of the True Intent of Dharma Transmission, it becomes exceedingly difficult to experience those illusions again.”

The last time Li Fan’s main body came here with Han Yi and Ximen Yue in his previous life, the guide hadn’t explained it in such detail.

“It seems judging by appearance is human nature. Even we cultivators are not exempt from this common flaw,” Xu Bai mused inwardly. While complaining internally, Xu Bai seized the opportunity to press further, “According to Senior, the opportunity to directly face the True Intent of Dharma Transmission seems extremely rare, only happening once in a lifetime. But other than seeing some illusions, I didn't perceive any other effects?”

The black-robed cultivator said seriously, “What we cultivate is all the new Dharma transmitted by the Heavenly Venerate. Therefore, when we face the True Intent of Dharma Transmission, what we see is not merely a simple illusion. It is very likely related to each person's ultimate Dao.” Before Xu Bai could ask, he proactively began to explain the ultimate Dao: “Every cultivator, from the moment they embark on the cultivation path, will largely feel that the immortal path is vast and the future perilous. How to cultivate at each realm, and how to choose the most suitable method for oneself—these are all things we must explore on our own. But life offers no second chances. Once you make a mistake, you can only regret it for a lifetime and cut yourself off from the Dao path forever. Therefore, every step we take must be taken with extreme caution and prudence. The ultimate Dao, in the Heavenly Venerate's eyes, is the most suitable culmination of our cultivation path. What kind of being is the Dharma Transmission Heavenly Venerate? His vision is immeasurably higher than ours. What he determines is essentially no different from the truth. Therefore, that illusion you just experienced is truly crucial. If you contemplate it day and night, you will undoubtedly gain significant insights every time.”

Countless floating landmasses rapidly flashed past them. The black-robed guide leisurely expounded upon the mystical aspects of the True Intent of Dharma Transmission. He concluded with a sigh: “Our cultivation is like a path to heaven, shrouded by dense fog. Even a slight misstep, choosing the wrong path, can lead to a stumble, a fall, and being dashed to pieces. And the ultimate Dao revealed by the True Intent of Dharma Transmission is like a strikingly bright torch lit at the highest point of that path to heaven. Its light penetrates the fog, illuminating the direction. This is the Heavenly Venerate’s compassion for all sentient beings in the world!”

When the two transformed back from light forms to human figures and their feet touched the ground again, the black-robed cultivator’s words simultaneously ceased, and he reverted to his former cold demeanor.

A straight, bluish-green stone path led directly to a tall black stele at its end, which was the headquarters of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's Protector Hall. As he stepped onto the Path of Reverence, the spiritual energy within his body instantly subsided. Like a mortal, Xu Bai walked steadily, one step at a time, towards his destination. It was quite a long journey.

Upon reaching the end, the black-robed guide spoke again, his tone gentle: “Present your Token of Reverence here, and you may enter. I cannot go inside, so I will wait for you here.”

Xu Bai bowed slightly, then took out his jade token. Just like in his previous life, a seven-colored passage appeared from the stele, and Xu Bai strode into it.

“Derivation Jade application user: Xu Bai.”

“Number: 03. Authority level: Dao Integration.”

“Please wait patiently here. Estimated remaining wait time: thirteen hours.”

A somewhat familiar voice echoed in Xu Bai’s ear.